This invention relates to a device for fixing a camera to a tripod.
When photographing is carried out by attaching a camera to a tripod, the camera should be securely fixed to the universal head of the tripod. To this end, the universal head of the tripod is generally provided with a fitting screw which is free to protrude from the fitting surface of the universal head and be withdrawn therein. The bottom of the camera is provided with a screw hole allowing for the insertion of the fitting screw. The camera is securely placed on the universal head by threadedly inserting the fitting screw of the universal head into the screw hole of the camera bottom.
With the above-mentioned conventional method of fixing a camera to the universal head of the tripod, the fitting screw has to be turned, each time the camera is fitted to the universal head or removed therefrom. Therefore, the placement and release of a camera has hitherto undesirably consumed an appreciable length of time.
In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, a camera-fixing device has been proposed in the utility model publication No. 52-159,230 in order to facilitate the aforementioned placement and release of a camera. The proposed camera-fixing device comprises:
a base to be attached to the universal head; PA0 a slider which is rendered connectable to the camera and placed on the base in slidable engagement therewith; and PA0 a camera-fixing mechanism received in the base, and wherein the camera-fixing mechanism is provided with a cam, which, when the slider is placed on the base, can press the slider against the base, and also with a lever which effects the fixing and releasing of the slider to the base by the rotation of the cam. PA0 a base which is attached to the upper end of the universal head and whose outer surface is provided with guiding sections; and PA0 a slider which is provided with guided parts slidably engaged with the guiding sections, and to the upper surface of which a camera can be connected, whereby the slider is slidably engaged with the base and detachably fitted on the base.
The known camera-fixing device constructed as described above can indeed quickly and reliably fix a camera to the base or the universal head simply by engaging the slider previously connected to the camera with the base and later rotating the lever. However, the conventional camera-fixing device has the drawbacks that the device requires the camera-fixing mechanism, and involves many parts, undesirably leading to the complicated arrangement and high cost of the camera-fixing device.